The Tarawa-class LHAs and Wasp-class LHDs provide the Marine Corps with a means of ship-to-shore movement by helicopter in addition to movement by landing craft. Three LHAs — which have extensive storage capacity and can accommodate Landing Craft Utility (LCU) and Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) boats — were active during Operations Desert Shield / Storm. Since that time, LHAs (and later LHDs) have been participants in major humanitarian-assistance, occupation and combat operations in which the United States has been involved. Such operations have included participating as launch platforms for Marine Corps expeditionary forces into Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001 and 2002, Iraq in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and humanitarian support after the catastrophic Tsunami in 2004. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, two LHDs served as “Harrier carriers,” each launching an air group of AV-8B attack aircraft against targets inside Iraq. In 2004, LHAs and LHDs were used to transport thousands of Marines and their equipment to Iraq and Afghanistan for combat operations. Most recently, critical post Hurricane Katrina support was provided in New Orleans by LHD 7 (IWO JIMA) where thousands of police, fire and rescue personnel were hosted onboard during recovery operations and IWO JIMA operated as the central command and control hub. With delivery of IWO JIMA in 2001, the Navy and Marine Corps reached a desired force level of amphibious warfare ships — LHAs/LHDs, LPDs and LSD 41/49s — that provide fully capable Expeditionary Strike Groups to fulfill anticipated forward-presence and expeditionary requirements. The keel for an eighth LHD, MAKIN ISLAND (LHD 8), was laid in February 2004 at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems (NGSS) Ingalls Operations. It is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in 2008. LHD 8 will differ from earlier ships of the class in that it will be powered by gas turbine engines rather than steam turbines. LHA 6, the first ship of the LHA Replacement (LHA(R)) Program, was placed under contract in June 2007 with NGSS. LHA 6 will be an aviation-centric modified repeat of the LHD 8 and is scheduled for delivery to the Navy in 2012. Key differences between LHA 6 and the LHD Class ships include an enlarged hangar deck, enhanced aviation maintenance facilities, increased aviation fuel capacity, additional aviation storerooms, removal of the well deck, and an electronically reconfigurable C4ISR suite.

Two of the original five Tarawa-class LHAs were recently decommissioned: USS BELLEAU WOOD (LHA 3) in October 2005 and USS SAIPAN (LHA 2) in April 2006.